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Oh no....Upon review of my students' recital pieces tonight, I realized that 2 of my students chose the same piece. And unfortunately, both have had their lessons this week already and do not have a backup piece. Has anyone ever had 2 students play the same piece at a recital?

Oh no....Upon review of my students' recital pieces tonight, I realized that 2 of my students chose the same piece. And unfortunately, both have had their lessons this week already and do not have a backup piece. Has anyone ever had 2 students play the same piece at a recital?

Gisele

The only problem with this is that the audience will compare the renditions, and the student who doesn't play as well will feel embarrassed and jealous.

That's a worst case scenario, not a necessary outcome. To me, it's more worrisome if the students are a bit more advanced than if they are really young.

Are the students friends?

I have 2 students playing the same piece (very newbie beginner students) this week in a recital and I'm not concerned, it will be fine. However, I have 2 other students who are also playing the same piece and they are friends and a bit competitive. In that situation, I put them in separate recitals.

I'm sure those students could flip a coin and the loser could play another selection. Certainly they must each have another finished piece after a year of study. I think it's a bad idea to have two students playing the same composition.(Unless they are young kids playing dorky 8-bar rote pieces that they both play well.)

I once played the same piece as someone else in a recital. I was co-hosting, and of course I ended up having to announce the guy who was playing the same piece... I jokingly told the audience that I'd hand out pieces of paper, and they could compare, and by the end of the evening we'd pick a winner.

One of my mentors studied with Carl Friedburg in New York. One one occasion he heard a Bach Toccata being played in the practice room by another student of Mr. Friedburg's. The two of them played for each other. When my mentor went to his next lesson, he said, "Mr. Friedburg, Susan is also playing this piece and she plays it quite differently!" Mr. Friedburg's reply: "I know! Isnt' that wonderful?"

If it can be avoided and another student has something else they can do, I would ask them what they'd like to do. Let the students decide what they're OK with. Be sure to have them play a different parts of the recital so as to avoid too much comparison.

Or if they both have another piece they could do, have them both do that and one can play the RH for the piece in common while the other plays the LH as a duet!

During the holidays, it's difficult to avoid, especially since I often have beginning students on the same level. However, at my upcoming recital, two students will be playing the same piece (although they will also play another additional, different piece as well). The reason -- they love the piece, and play it very well. If one student was not playing the piece as well as the other, I would substitute. I think it's important for me to plan my recital program at least a month in advance to avoid repetitive pieces at my recitals.

One of my mentors studied with Carl Friedburg in New York. One one occasion he heard a Bach Toccata being played in the practice room by another student of Mr. Friedburg's. The two of them played for each other. When my mentor went to his next lesson, he said, "Mr. Friedburg, Susan is also playing this piece and she plays it quite differently!" Mr. Friedburg's reply: "I know! Isnt' that wonderful?"

My last recital I, too, accidentally scheduled 2 kids to play the same piece. I realized it a couple of weeks prior to the recital. The 6 year old wanted to keep the piece. I then let the 8 year old know that a 6 year old would be playing the same piece, and he gladly picked a different one.

Personally, I think it's fine, if the students are fine with it. It's not ideal, but you can space them farther apart if neither of them can switch pieces. After all, they've worked hard and it's not exactly fair to ask either of them to switch on (short?) notice.

Thankfully, these 2 kids don't know each other. I was thinking of asking one to replace that song, but she has worked so hard on it (as has the other student). As suggested, I will have to place them as far apart as possible. Lesson learned: when list of recital pieces is long, put them in excel format weeks before the date and sort them by title.....

I don't like assigning the same pieces to different students, unless they are still in method books. Once the student is out of method books, I make a point to teach different materials to different students. Several reasons:

1) The music won't stagnate.

2) I get to cater the repertoire to the student's individual taste and needs.

3) I get to expand my own repertoire.

4) Students get exposed to as many different pieces as possible, from what they play, to what they hear at recitals.

5) Students won't end up comparing themselves.

When you send as many students to competitions and festivals as I do, you will run into repeated repertoire all the time. Bach Festival is notorious for having seven kids in a row play Invention No. 8. So, within the confines of my own studio, I avoid repeated repertoire at all cost.

Oh this happens at my kid's recitals on a fairly regular basis. Especially with beginner kids. They just break up the kids. One plays towards the beginning and one towards the end. It's never a big deal.

Oh this happens at my kid's recitals on a fairly regular basis. Especially with beginner kids. They just break up the kids. One plays towards the beginning and one towards the end. It's never a big deal.

This method seems to be advocated by many on this thread, but it is a problem if you are trying to arrange the participants in order of increasing proficiency, ie the beginners first, and the advanced students (if there are any) at the end (which is the way many teachers do it). Thus, to put a student playing a Bach invention between two Liszt Transcendentals is not really what you're looking for in this case, but that's what would happen if you tried to put them at the opposite end of the recital from the other student playing it. I think it's much better just to avoid assigning the same piece to both students.